Outside the Confines: Profiles in cowardice

We’re back to another edition of “MLB Men Behaving Badly” or in this case, potentially behaving criminally.

I really hate doing OTC on days like this. I’d rather link to stories about trade rumors. Seriously, days like today are bad for my blood pressure.

• A temporary restraining order has been issued against Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer by a woman who has alleged that he choked and hit her without her permission during a sexual encounter. The Pasadena Police Department are also investigating it as a possible criminal matter.
• Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang have the details alleged by the victim, which I’m going to warn you are graphic and shocking. (The Athletic sub. req., but here’s a free summary of that report.)
• Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says that any punishment for Bauer is up to MLB and that he expects Bauer to make his scheduled start on Sunday.
• Stephanie Apstein says that under no circumstances should Bauer start on Sunday and that the Dodgers are hiding behind a technicality.
• Ken Rosenthal agrees: MLB must stop Bauer from making his start on Sunday. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• The title of this piece by Craig Goldstein pretty much sums up MLB’s reaction to the Bauer incident: “Cowardice All the Way Down.”
• The Dodgers are going to visit the White House today to celebrate their 2020 title. They are the first team to go to the White House in the Biden Administration. Fortunately for MLB and the White House, COVID protocols are limiting the Dodgers to bringing only players who were on the 2020 World Series team, so Bauer wasn’t invited to this event even before this news.
• Batting average is up in June since MLB announced their crackdown on pitchers using foreign substances to get a better grip. Of course, hitting always goes up in warmer weather, so the connection with the crackdown isn’t clear yet.
• Eno Sarris does note that spin rates are definitely down since the crackdown, but that it’s unclear that it is having any affect on the game. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Hannah Keyser examines whether the answer to MLB’s foreign substance problems is a “sticky” ball similar to the ones they use in Korea and Japan.
• They announced the starters for the 2021 All-Star Game yesterday.
• The rosters for the Futures Game were also announced this week and here’s a scouting report on every player, including the Cubs’ Brennen Davis and Manuel Rodriguez.
• It’s July, so that means it’s trade season. Jeff Passan has a preview of trading season. (ESPN+ sub. req.)
• Kevin Goldstein explains where each American League team stands and where each National League team stands on the trade market heading into July.
• Zach Crizer notes that the Giants have the best record in baseball, but it’s still not clear that they will approach the trade deadline like a team that intends to win.
• Grant Brisbee has a list of players that the Giants might try to acquire (The Athletic sub. req.) before the deadline.
• Neil Paine writes that the Mariners are the playoff contender that no one saw coming.
• Mike Axisa looks at what we’ve learned at the halfway point of the season.
• Anthony Castrovince has some “bold” predictions for the month of July and that includes some trade predictions.
• Yesterday was “Bobby Bonilla Day” for the Mets, when they pay the long-retired third baseman another $1,193,248.20. Dan Mullin explains what “Bobby Bonilla Day” is and why the Mets are still paying him.
• Rather than be embarrassed about it like in the past, the Mets under new owner Steve Cohen have decided to embrace “Bobby Bonilla Day” with a promotion.
• Yankees manager Aaron Boone got the dreaded “vote of confidence” from owner Hal Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner said the Yankees struggles are the players’ fault and not Boone’s.
• Steinbrenner will have another player to blame as the Yankees acquired outfielder Tim Locastro from the Diamondbacks for a Double-A pitcher.
• Nationals shortstop Trea Turner tied a major league record by hitting for the cycle for a third time. And he did it on his birthday.
• Dan Szymborski notes that Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is back to being the good Jose Altuve in 2021.
• Congratulations to Mississippi State, who won their first College World Series over Vanderbilt.
• Rustin Dodd has a major profile of Shohei Ohtani, who appears to be breaking the limits of baseball. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• And finally, last time I wrote this column I ended with the story of Gwen Goldman, who asked the Yankees to be a ball girl in 1961. And how the Yankees asked her to be the ball girl for this past Monday’s game. Here’s a report on how Gwen’s magical day went.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.